Vindicated
by yoshi09
Summary: With everything going wrong, Harry finally lets anger get the best of him and blames it on Draco Malfoy... But what Harry doesn't know is that Draco will teach him the difference between wanting something, and NEEDING something.


To: My favorite and only beta- Holy Pancake. (You're lucky I'm on a one-shot streak) This one's to her because I read Chapter 5 of her story "Drabbles of Sweet Nothings." I was a bit inspired, even this has NOTHING to do with it. Just maybe the last line which everyone puts so much emphasis on, and the fact it's H/D. Make sure to check it out if you like this fic… this'll be my first Harry/Draco on and I've never read H/D fanfiction in my life so I don't know how cliché this is (I've only read my beta's drabbles and whatnot). This fic is un-beta'd (it's a gift to my beta after all- don't wanna give her more work lol).

"DAMN IT!" yelled Harry for the fourth time in a row in Potions class. Hermione looked up a bit irritated- Harry nearly made her drop a toad's wart several seconds too early into the stew.

"Honestly, Harry," she said lazily, as she waved the smoke away from her boiling pot to clear the noxious gases, "If you say that one more time, I'd swear you're trying to summon something."

Harry was angry. Very angry. It wasn't anything new though. Ever since they lost that Quidditch match that knocked him out of the finals and possibly the first chance in a decade that Hogwarts was going to compete against others schools, Harry had a tendency to be a little harsh…. Knocking off a few more points than necessary from Houses and clearly abusing his Head Boy status.

"That was a TOTAL foul up, Hermione!" He screeched again, "The bludger was bloody bewitched! And that snitch was always hanging in their side of the arena-"

"Face it, Harry. They won fair and SQUARE… Stop letting your pride get in the way, there's always next year."

"Like hell! Slytherin? Winning fair and square?" He was practically strangling the mouse he needed as an ingredient as he made wild gesticulations to further prove his point, "You of all people Hermione, would know how much of an oxymoron that is!"

"Would you calm down?" she said a little more cautiously, eyeing the small mouse within the tight grasp of his left hand, "You're supposed to put that mouse in _live_ with the potion you're brewing and I do believe you're killing it."

"Bullocks," he threw the mouse in carelessly over his shoulder and into his pot without a second glance, "Shitty Invisibility Potion… 100 points extra credit, my arse."

"Oh, that's an Invisibility Potion?" said Hermione timidly.

"Yes. It's supposed to be a sickly shade of periwinkle!"

She smiled and decided it'd be best not to correct him. Neville on the other hand, measuring up to his House stereotype cheerily told Harry otherwise though,

"I just checked, it's supposed to be a bubbly orange colo-"

"MAKE LIKE A BADGER AND CLIMB A TREE!"

Neville whimpered and went back to cutting his onions. No one in class believed it was wise to tell Harry that badgers, in fact, do not climb trees, so they all continued to pretend nothing was amiss.

"Harry…" Hermione said quietly, when the room was a bit more settled, "You have to control your temper. You know Neville was just trying to help you out."

"I AM controlled." Harry replied roughly as he diced a carrot.

"Well, sure, we'll go with that for now, but I mean as of late you've been really off. As Head Boy, you should be a bit more responsible."

"What have I been doing WRONG?" He gave her a hard glare as if to challenge her.

"I guess you can say that you shouldn't be getting your knickers in a twist because Ron's Quidditch Captain-"

"Ron is a very good Captain, and we both agree SLYTHERIN ARE-"

Hermione hit Harry hard over the head with her ladle.

"That still does not constitute for your irrational behavior! For Merlin's sake, Harry, you docked 25 points off two 5th years for holding hands in the halls."

"It's in the rules that amorous conduct is not permitted-"

"It was _midday_, holding hands is hardly considered 'amorous conduct,' and they were part of our House!"

Harry unceremoniously tossed another mouse into the stew.

"I don't see you're point, they were getting distracted and not getting to class."

Hermione shook her head and said exasperated, "What about that other time when you knocked off 50 points from Ravenclaw courtesy of a 2nd year breathing too hard in the library?"

"He WAS," and as if to emphasize his point he nearly crushed a third rodent.

"Even Professor SNAPE is avoiding you!" Hermione reprimanded.

"I am not!" yelled Snape imperially, although it was clear that he had been slinking in the corner of his classroom as far away from Harry as possible.

"All right, Hermione. Maybe I was a bit over the top," he said slowly.

"Professor Snape… before Harry strangles the remainder of your live specimen, can I please talk to him outside?"

He gave a small gesture of his hand, and Hermione dragged a very reluctant Harry out of the room. Had they been listening, they would have heard the collective sigh of relief from the whole room.

"MALFOY?" Hermione said in complete bewilderment.

"Oh sure, tell the whole hoGWARTS CASTLE, WHY WON'T YOU?" His voice steadily rose to a loud growl.

Hermione had completely forgotten they were technically in public, even though they were in the dungeons, you never knew if Peeves was around. She ruffled a hand through Harry's wild hair.

"Is this what this is about? Just a little bit of Malfoy crawling under your skin?"

"It's not funny," he gritted.

She smiled warily, "Oh sure, he's beautiful. I mean, the porcelain-like skin, the long lashes, those platinum gold locks, and those gorgeous EYES…"

"HERMIONE!" It took every ounce of his willpower to not add her to the list of mouse murders. He struggled to regain his bearings before he continued, ignoring the coy expression clear on her face, "I told you, he bought his position as Slytherin Quidditch Captain. It just makes me mad how nobody else notices this but me!"

"Oh bloody hell, sure he bought his way in during the 2nd year, but everyone knows his skills on a broom," she nodded her head and paused a little longer than necessary so Harry could catch the sexual innuendo she had made, "are genuine after the 4th year. So you're a little upset that he got Captain, and you didn't?"

"I _told_ you already," he lowered his voice, "Ron is a splendid Quidditch Captain. Bloody brilliant, even," Hermione smiled as she caught the sarcasm dripping off him, while he ranted, "But Malfoy doesn't _deserve_ it. And the way he fucking looks at me, he's totally enjoying the fact he can flaunt his new status."

"You know, some people would consider that sexual tension." Hermione said matter-of-factly.

"What is it with all the girls thinking I want in on Malfoy's pants?" he shook his head angrily.

"You're the only one who doesn't notice, or at least, failed to acknowledge the fact that he's one of the best Seekers to have existed. Either you hate him that much, which I doubt, you have a pride that's larger than you're ego, HIGHLY unlikely," she smiled gently as Harry twitched at this remark, "Or…you're just hiding something."

"You're accusing me of being in the closet?"

"So deep in, Love, you're in Narnia."

"That's not funny. I read that book, you know."

Hermione laughed, and placed the hand that had ruffled Harry's hair just earlier on his shoulder,

"Look, if you have anything to tell me… you can. All the girls have a second sense on whether a guy is interested in other males."

"I'm NOT gay." Harry huffed.

"Haaaarry," Hermione whined, which sounded very weird, given Hermione never whines, "You can't possibly say that you haven't noticed those muscles of Malfoy's rippling at you, and seeing that you're a Seeker yourself, you must've gotten a lot of nice angles that we in the stands couldn't see. Besides, it's obvious that those Quidditch robes you all wear for 'aerodynamic purposes' is a bit too see-through for one to not notice the sexy physique Malfoy has."

"Hermione," he said seriously.

"Yes?" Hermione looked up hopefully. Maybe he was about to confess…

"When did you ever get so infatuated with Malfoy?"

She looked flabbergasted and mouthed incoherently for a few seconds out of disbelief before she said indignantly, "Haven't you noticed? He hasn't called me a… a… you know, for _years_. He's making an attempt to be civil. It made me think he's actually human, and that he was just misunderstood. You've got to admit though, that danger streak in his genes is very alluring."

"Aha!"

Hermione jumped at Harry's sudden outburst of almost excited realization.

"So THIS is why you girls are all fluttery when you watch us play Quidditch. All the guys on all teams have been speculating what was with the new large scale female audiences we had during all-house practice sessions."

"Um, we do have a bit of eye candy on the teams."

Harry shook his head slowly, "Figures. Everyone wants to see Harry Potter, the brave, goody-good Gryffindor… boy-who-lived, Head Boy, fighter against evil… find a forbidden and unlikely love with Draco Malfoy- Slytherin pretty boy and certified bad ass, Quidditch Captain, top notch O.W.L. scores, with a dark dangerous and ancient pact with the death eaters."

Hermione gaped.

"It's not happening. Let's get back to class, 'Mione."

They both walked slowly back to Potions, but Hermione couldn't hide her smirk as she noted the sudden change in Harry's attitude.

"Neville! Ginny! Would you stop that racket?" yelled Harry in vain. Ever since he stopped giving out detentions, the news spread like wildfire that Harry was in a good mood- Neville and Ginny taking advantage of this in an almost an instant, by continuing where they left off before Harry gained PMS a week or so ago.

Sure, they were boyfriend and girlfriend, but this was getting ridiculous. The tremors the bed was making next to him could hardly be from the 'studying' that Ginny said she'd be doing with Neville behind those deep red hangings.

"Oh, come on! Even with the _silencio _you cast, that's definitely not Herbology you're teaching her, Neville!" The racket continued with no avail, and it didn't help that the bed was squeaky and had anti-charm spells cast on it, making _Silencio_ useless, to keep people from stealing the beds (thanks to one of the Weasley twins' brilliant schemes, McGonagall had angrily went to every single bed in the Gryffindor boys dormitory to make sure all of the beds would no longer 'sleep-walk' and 'accidentally take her favorite hat').

"-and unless that's some kind of miniature blast-ended skrewt you're trying to catch, that's certainly not Care of Magical Creatures either!" then Harry, realizing the unintentional pun he made on 'miniature blast-ended skrewts,' promptly made a gagging noise.

He had tried to study. He _tried_ to be tolerant towards his housemates. But damn it, if he didn't pass the Transfigurations test tomorrow, he'd be forced to attend after-class tutoring and miss Quidditch practice all next month. Ron was already forced to take double Transfiguration, and took Potions with the Ravenclaws instead, and his Quidditch Captain best friend would not hear any excuses, best friend or not. Without a second thought, he raised his wand, and was about to say something venomous when a voice from the common room called his name.

"What?" asked Harry, whom was a bit relieved he found some distraction from the squeaking bed before he was sure he would do something foul.

"Ron wants to talk to you down at the Quidditch pitch, something about practice next week!" It was Hermione, yelling up at him.

"Ron has detention with Flitwick, doesn't he?"

"Apparently not!"

"All right, coming." He rolled off his bed, and said a hasty _accio Firebolt_ before rushing downstairs, a look of distaste on his face as the _silencio_ had just wore off and Neville shouted something to Ginny that sounded close to 'You can harvest me any day!'

"Huh? Where's Ron?" Harry asked once they reach the Quidditch field.

Hermione smiled weakly, and handed him a folded piece of parchment, "From Ron," she said and then ran back to the direction of the Hogwarts castle.

"'Mione, wait!"

"Just read it!" she yelled over her shoulder.

Harry shrugged and shook the parchment open with one hand since his other was carrying his broom.

_I would've gotten this note to you sooner, or would have told you personally or something, but I heard Ginny was in the boy's dorms with Neville. Hermione suggested I wrote everything down instead since she wasn't going to let me go up there to just talk to you in case I planned to take a detour and kill him. She's too smart for her own good and if she wasn't my girlfriend I'd kill her too. Anyway, just read this whole note before you go trapezing back into the castle.  
I'm in detention right now, and I knew if you thought I was out here, you'd be more willing to come and practice, so sorry for making Hermione lie to you. I noticed you've been off on Quidditch practices lately, I don't know if it's because of the fact _(the words "bloody Slytherins paying Madam Hooch again" were scratched out)_ we loss last match, but we both know if we don't get our game back on, we won't even be able to beat Hufflepuff two weeks from now.  
Which is why I got you some extra tutoring help- you can learn a lot from your enemy. If you haven't noticed already, tonight is Slytherin's turn to practice, and the Captains have decided since this year Hogwarts is going to compete in Quidditch against other schools, we're putting a tighter leash on inter-house community and agreed we'd help all of our players get better. I know what you're thinking- so what's this got to do with helping me?  
Unfortunately, Malfoy seems to be the best remedy._

Harry's eyes grew wide, 'Bloody hell, Hermione… if you said anything about suspecting I'm gay to Ron…'

_He was the only Slytherin whose schedule was open tonight after his session with his team, and fortunately for you, he was a lot more willing than expected. I believe it would be good for you to practice with him, especially since he's the only Seeker capable of being your possible rival. Good luck. Oh, and you won't be able to run away. I gave Malfoy the permission to put an enchantment on the Quidditch field and keep you on the grounds as long as he is. I know, you'll give me hell for this tomorrow morning, but I'm giving this order as your concerned Quidditch Captain, not advice from your best friend._

_-Ron_

_p.s. I'll get someone to keep an eye on Malfoy just in case._

"And what do we have here… a bit of Potter fodder left over from last week's Quidditch loss?" said a sultry voice above.

Harry didn't bother to look up, well aware that Draco must be flying in lazy figure eights over his head. He crushed the note in his hand and said with a voice that was carefully guarded as if challenging Draco to cut the last string attached to his sanity that kept Harry from murdering him,

"Bloody hell, Malfoy…"

"Language, Potter. Wouldn't want you're Quidditch Captain to get a bad report from me, would you? After all he did to grovel at my feet and beg that I tutor your inferior flying tactics, did he not?"

Harry could hear Draco's smirk as he talk.

"Do _not_ provoke me tonight, Malfoy. I am _not_ in the mood."

There was a low laugh that answered him. It was one of those laughs that sent vibrations down to your core, and commanded attention. Harry closed his eyes and breathed out slowly before opening them to meet Draco's flying above,

"What's. So. Funny." Harry gritted.

"Asides from the obvious," Malfoy made a slow descent, and gestured to Harry's face before continuing, "You're attitude really does seem to be lacking. And-" he was flying so low now that the hems of his robes were skimming the grass as he circled Harry within arm's length, "-coming from a person who's notorious for bad attitudes, that's saying a lot."

"Look, I'm not playing games. I appreciate Ron's concern, but I don't like yours."

He stood his ground, with his face forward and unflinching, not willing to take Malfoy's bait and give into hexing him, no matter how tempting.

"I wasn't either. But I expect better from my bitter enemies. You're horribly out of character of this week, and it's been more than bothersome."

"Feh," Harry replied, making a noise between half a grunt and a sound of indignation.

"That's all?" He stopped to a float in front of Harry, "A 'Feh' is all I get? What happened to the verbal spar, Potter?" Malfoy leaned in closer across the length of his broom, "That was," he was barely a whisper away from Harry's face, "fun."

Harry's eye twitched, and there was no denying the visible shudder Harry did as his willpower to not just slap that condescending smile off Malfoy's face stretched thin.

"It's okay though. You can defeat the Dark Lord six times, but that's not going to do shit for your Quidditch, apparently. You still are the epitome of suck, Potter. No matter what, you'll be number two… to a _Weasley_ nonetheless. Even _I_ was shocked. You are supposed to be Quidditch Captain with me so I can kick your arse like an equal."

When Harry chased Malfoy like a vengeful dementor that promised more than its kiss, he wasn't sure what triggered it. It wasn't because of the fact Draco teased his best friend, or wasn't for his low blow about Voldemort. Perhaps it was because Harry knew deep down, that he was right. That he should have been better, that he deserved, no _needed_ to constantly kick Malfoy back in his place.

"You'll _pay_ for THAT!" He screamed in a voice so deadly, so full of hatred, he wasn't sure it was his own. Harry hadn't noticed he kicked off the field, and was soaring up as fast as his broom could allow, colors blurring and his head spinning.

Malfoy, luckily, somehow knew this would pull Harry's final reserve and flew off just a split second before he caught Harry's intent to murder. He laughed, '_Finally, a time to test this new broom_.' Malfoy leaned low across the length of his broom and did a series of twists and turns- nothing too far from basics in flying. He threw a glance back over his shoulder and saw that Harry wasn't far behind him, if anything, he had gained aerospace between them. Smirking, Malfoy did a barrel roll to the left towards the castle, Harry following closely behind. Draco then did a surprise move and feigned a right but instead made a downwards dive, so quick, so precise, so graceful, he knew only a Malfoy could do it. He looked up, and smiled as Harry fell for the trick, but the happiness was short lived because Harry preformed the Karakoff Spin-off, a very complicated maneuver with your broom that involved a half turn flip that Malfoy had only seen performed perfectly once before, which landed Harry right behind Malfoy again. Undeterred, Malfoy saw they were close to the castle, and decided to pay its walls a visit.

He gathered excruciating speed, his practice robes fluttering out behind him like a proud silver banner, and kept his body low to the magicked cleaning tool. Harry behind him, in his blind anger and rage, couldn't see anything but his target- Malfoy. Draco must've known this because he was making an attack at the castle wall, and rushed towards it in suicidal speed. He heard a girl scream in horror somewhere, but he paid no heed to it. Harry and Draco were in their own little world now, that no one understood. It was a battle that had existed between them since Harry first flew after Draco for Neville's remembrall, maybe even before that, when Draco was trying on robes and perhaps trying the chance at being friends with his fated rival. The battle that no one knew they were fighting, that went beyond words, and pure male aggression. It was no longer the manner of pride, or something as fickle as insults they've always thrown at each other. This was something _more _and Malfoy wasn't quite sure what, but he knew if he stopped now he would never find out… and Malfoys alwaysfinish what they start. _Always_.

They rushed together in an angry torrent of wind, adrenaline rush, and basic instinct. Closer to the wall, closer… Malfoy knew he should pull up now, Harry was speeding much faster than he was and still gaining, he could hear Harry's soft scratching of the his broomstick twigs quiver with his speed… but it was as if some sick and twisted reverse instinct was playing it's role, because Draco felt himself spur on his broom faster, in a headlong rush towards his impending doom. It had to be at least four seconds now before he would collide with the castle, but four seconds was a long time when one was about to die. Draco felt a smile twitch at his lips, '_Funny_,' he thought, '_and to think Hogwarts was my safe haven. I'm going to die here._' Then everything moved in slow motion. Malfoy felt like he had an eternity, that he could count every single nick and grove in the stone walls, that he had all the time in the world so he could watch his death in a play-by-play, he knew it was too late to slow down, that he'd hit it no matter what. He couldn't even close his eyes, and no flashbacks of his past broke before them.

Then everything went back to normal speed, or more like fast forward it was such a rush- Draco couldn't stop the growl that tore from his throat as he felt his cloak suddenly get pulled back, veering his broom precariously upwards, and towards Gryffindor towers. He looked behind him, and found Harry had saved his life, unintentionally, but he saved it nonetheless, Harry's death grip on his cloak was hardly a setback in his speed.

He smirked- Harry really was a hero behind that façade after all, an unintentional hero, but still a hero. That made Draco grin, so Harry wouldn't even let him have the peace of death? He half raced, half dragged his scandalous enemy around the tower and feint a left towards the lake.

Draco heard Harry yell something that sounded curiously like "Beat you to a bloody pulp," but his voice was lost to the wind, and Malfoy did a quick right towards the Whomping Willow. The branches stretched at them in vengeful welcome.

"Let's see what you got, Potter," Draco heard himself say. He made a dive, and just before they were forced to dodge a non too enthusiastic branch, Draco shrugged off his practice robes Harry held so tightly on, and veered deeper into the Willow's abyss of branches pulsing with malice. Harry rushed after him, his vendetta to reach him much more powerful in need than the Whomping Willow's were. Draco dove, ducked, twirled and twisted. He felt ridiculously like a ballerina on a broomstick dancing for his life. Harry was no where within view, but he spurred himself to the core of the Willow, which groaned in an attempt to catch his agile figure. Left, right, up… down? Mistake! Draco immediately regretted his decision and felt a blow on his chest that slackened his grasp on his broom and caught him off guard. He saw from the corner of his eye another branch trying to reach for him, but he dodged that easily. Shaken, but very much alert, Draco barrel rolled away from another attempt at his life, and pulled himself upward, but to no avail. He was keenly aware that the tree was angry now, that is, if trees were capable of emotion, and was trying to box him in. Malfoy ducked just in time, and then feigned another attempt to the top, before swerving in an opportune left at an opening the Willow left. This tree proved to be a harder adversary than Malfoy had planned and he filed a mental note that if he were to live through this ordeal, his team would practice in the tree. The tree blocked this maneuver and Draco, for the first time, felt a voice inside him telling him he was in deep trouble, and no amount of dodging would get him out of this one.

"_Incendio_!" Harry yelled imperiously at a branch so thick it should be considered a secondary trunk. The branch was momentarily pulled back as flame engulfed it, and the rest of the branches around it started patting at it frantically to set the flame off. From the corner of his eye, he saw Draco take advantage of the distraction and pull out of the tree. Harry cursed under his breath. He would be damned if he didn't take Draco down right _now_. With a determination he didn't know he possessed, he raced after Draco, and before he could successfully be back in aerospace, Harry jumped off his broom, and tackled Malfoy back onto the ground.

"Bloody fucking he-" Draco started to say, as he was set off balance and they careened towards the ground, crashed onto the hill, and rolled in a tangle of limbs and yells down to the edge of the lake.

Unable to control the outcome of the roll, Harry, to his dismay, ended up on bottom, with a very provoked Draco straddling him. Harry immediately felt his fist move for him, and punched Draco clean in his right cheek.

"What? Did I hit a nerve?" yelled Malfoy, as he realigned his jaw. He made no move to get off Harry seeing it was safer to have the upper hand and attempt to hold his enemy down.

"Fuck you, Malfoy! Fuck you!" Harry was a whirlwind of spite and starting bombarding Malfoy with a series of punches, all of which Draco dodged easily. Harry then elbowed Draco in his stomach, as he felt himself give in for the first time to his most primal emotions. Everything that ever went wrong disengaged into a form of hitting Malfoy right then- the Dursleys, his parents, Voldemort, the people after him, Quidditch, betrayals… EVERYTHING. Harry had never felt such white heat in his veins before, the urge to destroy him right then was more necessary than ever before.

"What the hell?" Draco clutched his stomach and before he knew it, he felt a rain of mind-blowing punches surround him. It was as if Harry was just trying to hit whatever of Malfoy he could touch, he wasn't even targeting anymore. Unable to defend himself, he did something he never dreamed he would do.

Draco rolled off from Harry while Harry tried to grab him, to hold him onto his body and just beat him to a bloody pulp like he had promised, but Draco was faster. He rolled up the sleeve of his robe on his left arm and held it up for Harry to see.

"This? Is THIS WHAT YOU WANT?" He screamed, his voice sounded strangled even to himself. He felt the blood in his mouth and spat it out in a hacking cough, as Harry's eyes glazed over at the sight before him: The Dark Mark, but different than any he'd ever seen before. It was all over his arm, like a strange and ancient tattoo, with an eerie beauty.

"Tell me, Harry, do you intend to kill me or what this arm represents?" Draco didn't know what he was doing, he just felt himself talk, "That's right. I'm everything you hate. Everything you worked so fucking long against. Kill me."

Harry didn't notice he was biting his lip so hard until he tasted that metallic bitter-sweetness associated with blood. That was true. He wanted to kill him, but he didn't know why he wasn't moving.

"Do it! I've waited forever!" When Harry didn't move, Draco started again, "How about if I tell you I _wanted _this? That every desire was fulfilled and I felt complete when Voldemort cast _this_ mark on me?"

Harry just lay there and watched him intently, his anger still there, but something controlled. It unnerved Draco.

"You know what this is? It's the mark that's destined to kill you- even if all Death Eaters die, if everything goes wrong. I'm still destined to kill_ you._"

It was silent, a few moments passed….and then Harry did something very unexpected. He laughed.

It wasn't a selfish, evil laugh… it was a genuine, joyous, laugh- as if Draco said something extremely funny.

"Shut up," Draco said quietly.

Harry's laughter increased.

"Shup up!" Draco said louder.

Harry clutched his stomach he was laughing so hard. In a sweep of fallen grace, Draco straddled Harry once more, his palms finding a spot on either side of Harry's head as he laughed in mirth.

"Why don't you shut up…" he said angrily.

Harry was laughing so hard and Malfoy felt every vibration of Harry's abs between his powerful thighs. Finally after much effort to calm down, and after Draco had completely forgot he was on top of Harry Potter himself, Harry began slowly,

"We're a lot more alike than we think," his voice was calm, calculated, and almost wary, a smile still brushed his lips.

"What do you mean?" Draco's previous anger had mellowed to confusion.

Harry turned his head to the right, facing the graceful burns of the Dark Mark on Draco's forearm. His eyes traced the lines of the beautiful scars that thrummed with an old, shadowed magic.

"This," he started, "is tribute to fighting for something. Something we've been taught. Something we're still trying to understand."

"Don't compare yourself to me," but even as he said that Malfoy knew he wasn't as thoroughly convinced as he sounded.

"No. Look. I have one too," he pointed at his scar, "It's what we represent, but it doesn't necessarily mean it's _us_."

"That was given to you unwillingly though," Draco reasoned carefully, "I, on the other hand, wanted this. More than anything."

"No, Malfoy," and Harry smiled mischievously before continuing, "You thought you wanted it. Everyone happens to want the things that seem the most unattainable- from the most trivial things, like me and Quidditch Captain, or you with a better O.W.L. than Hermione, to the most world-changing- like world peace. We're all trying to become new people, because we're human, but no one understands that we can't become renewed, we can only become better. We come to the world with what we have, and we pretend it's more because we want to believe that."

Harry was vaguely aware that Malfoy shifted his position, so that he didn't seem to be directly over him anymore. Harry went on,

"But there's always bigger forces than ourselves, things we can't control," he pointed to his own scar, "My scar, for example, or," he gestured with a nod of his head at Malfoy's beautiful mark, "that Dark Mark. You can call it destiny, or very strong coincidence, it doesn't matter. Fact is, things still happen, and everyone just tries their best to accept it or fight it because that's all we know how to do. We both happened to accept it. We all want the same things just we have different perspectives on how to get there. I want to find a way to rid the world of Voldemort because I think the world would be a better place. You, on the contrary, believe that as long as Voldemort survives you have protection and the world will be better if all the muggles that shun you disappear."

Draco's eyes still looked stone cold, but he was still listening.

"As long as everyone thinks as individuals, as long as everyone remains introverted with their thoughts on what's right and wrong… the world will never be at peace, because we just have too many perspectives. We're just human. We sacrifice ourselves to our beliefs because that's all we have. We want to change- be better, we just don't know _how_."

Finally, Draco spoke,

"But, Potter, there is a different between being wanting something and _needing_ something. Want is petty, that changes at a constant. But need," he reflexively twisted his left arm so that the muscles in his forearm were more prominent- not out of threat, but out of habit, "Need stays the same. I need to destroy you, Potter."

Harry nodded slowly, "I understand that. As I'm destined to destroy you."

Both fated rivals stared at each other for some time before Malfoy spoke,

"And yet, I don't know why I don't feel like killing you right now."

"That's because you know what I said is true, you don't want to kill someone who understands you, because no one wants to be alone."

Sitting atop of Harry was oddly soothing. His breathing was gentle, and rhythmic, even with Malfoy's weight.

"Oh, bloody hell."

And before they both knew it, Malfoy had leaned in and captured Harry's lips in a torturing bittersweet kiss. It was barely anything, just a whisper on lips, but it meant the world to both of them. They would never admit that to one another though. When Draco pulled away, Harry was the first one to say something,

"What was that?"

"I don't know," Draco said honestly, "I think it was something between a confession, a handshake, and a slap."

"Felt like it," Harry replied sullenly, "I never kissed a guy before."

Draco smirked and replied, "I'm known to be a pretty boy. I've had my fair share of experiences."

"It's a bit different, you know," Harry retorted evenly, "I mean, kissing a guy."

"How so? They feel all the same to me."

Harry placed his hands on either side of his archenemy's head and drew him down close once more, and kissed him thoroughly, almost angry with his passion and drove everything he's ever felt for Draco into one shattering kiss. It was as if he was trying to rid all his emotions bare for him, and rub them free. Draco never quite felt something like the way Harry kissed- it was raw and sensual, real and gratifying. Almost like his soul was set aflame, not with passion but it was as if Harry opened up new senses- it was all there, the sorrow, the pain, the anger, the pleasure, the guilt, the need, the longing, the beauty. When Harry pulled away, Draco felt like he took a part of him with him. Maybe he died a little right then.

"Well, for one, you're not afraid of hurting a guy when you kiss."

Draco nodded, "True."

"And," he drew Malfoy down so their foreheads were touching, "for another, it teaches you as well."

"Pray tell, what did you learn, Potter?" Malfoy said seriously.

"That people don't fall in love with people. Souls fall in love with souls."

Malfoy rolled off him the second time that night, and chuckled softly,

"Are you saying you love me?"

"No, you arrogant arse, I'm saying you aren't a bad kisser. I felt like I was dying when I pulled away."

Malfoy nodded, and decided that it was best to keep secret how he felt the same.

"Well, I have that effect on people."

Harry turned his head to look at his long-time opponent and noticed how much he changed, they both changed. An intimate moment with, Draco Malfoy. HAH, the thought sent another wave of laughter through Harry again, and Draco soon followed after, noting the absurdity of it all. Before long, Harry and Draco gazed up at the night sky in silence.

"…Now what?" asked Harry quietly.

Draco glanced at Harry and smiled sadly, his eyes ran over Harry's famous scar, and trained down to his own infamous arm. Then barely audible, Draco replied,

"We wake up."

FIN.

A/N: YESSSSS FINISHEDDDDD and sent off to cheer up my friend at precisely 1:39am…. Lol, I'm smiling right now. If the ending sounded familiar, it was because I got the idea from an excerpt off "Adamo Fidelitas" by pixiezombie. It's a D/Hr, and a personal favorite… you can find it by browsing Contraveritas fanfic archive (look it up on Google).

Just to set this straight… regardless of how I wrote Draco and Harry above, I'm not a fan of this ship, I wrote this strictly because I wanted to cheer my beta friend up, and although I have to admit it was a bit fun, I'm too much of a D/Hr shipper to abandon the deck. I hope it wasn't too cliché, and that my beta's opinion was enough to base off of. Please read and review though, it makes me happy.

-yoshi09


End file.
